This was the original Seminole Heights blog with commentary about life in and around the urban neighborhood of Seminole Heights in Tampa, Florida. Musings about other topics as my mood permits. The blog is essentially inactive since I moved to Lutz. Go to The Official Unofficial Seminole Heights Blog - www.seminoleheightsblog.com for active content.

Thursday, September 21, 2006

Every time I go into a store and I see cigarette papers being bought, I think, another pot smoker. Then the other day, I was in the Sunoco at Sligh when more cigarette papers were bought by some guy in his 20's/30's. I walked out and actually saw him in his car rolling a cigarette. I was shocked. Someone aside from a homeless guy, actually using rolling papers for cigarette.

42 comments:

Quality and cost. I use a tube roller that rolls cigs w/a filter and always keep a pack of tops and little hand roller for a back-up if I run out of the tubes. I get the tobacco in bulk from 'Tobacco Depot'. I worked out to being 75 cents a pack and far greater quality than anything can can be purchased at a store.

wtf:Dosen't it shock you to see how judgemental and out of touch some of the ppl on this blog are? The real scary thing is they want to decide for us how to live our lives to their judgments.LONG LIVE STARBUCKS AND DELUSIONAL YUPPIES!!!

Well its those scary reefer smokers! They.. they.. they might actually be enjoying themselves! We must judge judge judge!!! Now off to my judgeandjury mobile! I am perfect and have never done anything bad in my life!

Well at least your moving to meth land, plenty of people to look down on there!

I have a couple of really fried pot smokers that live across the street from me. They have the same shitty attitude. No-one is being judgmental here. He is only making an observation. As is obvious from the previous comments on this entry, pot makes people very, very paranoid and suspicious. If you knew Scott at all, you would know that he really doesn't look "down" on anyone. Take a friggin xanax, will ya!!

Interesting that people see judgments where none existed. I was simply making an observation as anon 9:56 aM noted. When I was growing up, my buds only used rolling papers for pot, so that is my only experience base.

How do you smoke pot? In a bong or in a cigarette. How do you make a cigarette? Using rolling papers. Again in my experience base, people who used rolling papers smoked pot. That is what we did growing up. If anyone wanted tobacco they got cigarettes, cigars or a can to chaw.

Had I used the word "pot head" I could see it being taken as negative.

I find it more curious the willingness of people to jump to extreme conclusions.

"But hey feel free to keep judging anyone you want. I saw someone buying windex the other day. I bet they were going to drink it."

"The real scary thing is they want to decide for us how to live our lives to their judgments."

"Well its those scary reefer smokers! They.. they.. they might actually be enjoying themselves! We must judge judge judge!!! Now off to my judgeandjury mobile! I am perfect and have never done anything bad in my life!

"plenty of people to look down on there"

I thought pot was supposed to mellow people? Where is Tommy Chong when you need him?

As I walk onThrough troubled timesMy spirit gets so downhearted sometimesSo where are the strongAnd who are the trusted?And where is the harmony?Sweet harmony.'Cause each time I feel it slippin' away, just makes me wanna cry.What's so funny 'bout peace love & understanding?

I hate to be judgemental, but judging by the way you all judge so quickly, I must conclude you are not only judgemental of others who are judgemental, but are judgemental of those who are judged by others to be judgemental, at least judging by the judgments you have made.

He'll get himself in a nice townhouse in Lutz with the capital gains on the $299,000. With all the preaching for the last few years, I actually believed that he belived that Seminole Heights was a great place. I never fathomed he'd preach and leave. "Close to work, urban paradise, blah, blah, blah . . . " It was all a bunch of bullshit designed to raise his property value enough to be in a position get up and leave and buy a new home, as opposed to 80 years old. Blehk! I'm gonna roll me a big fattie now with green tobakee.

I personally don't have anything against pot smokers. However, if you do the research, where do you think the pot comes from. It is the same places that funds and keeps "Willie" out on our streets. It is the crack dealers peddling their goods. The same dealers that keep the Hookers on Nebraska going so they can make money to buy more. Look on the hillsborough county website at how many people are arrested with Pot and Cocaine with intent to distribute. It has to come from somewhere. Oh, thats right, you drive into other peoples neighborhoods to purchase it!

ok seriously, what percentage of people buying papers is actually using tobacco? i love how you posters get cheesed at scott about his opinion. the purpose of this blog has always been about scott's musings and observations.

and as far as scott moving exactly how is that any of your damned business? perhaps there are other reasons they are moving. when you guys decide to move or make some other major life decision perhaps you will feel the need to post it on the blog and have everyone second guess and judge you. i'm sure it was not easy for them to make the decision and it's certainly not b/c they think they can make a profit. besides, there could't BE a worse time to put your house on the market. those of you who say that kind of crap obviously don't know scott or susan.

Thank you anon 11:46. I think I know who you are and I appreciate your words. It's people like you who make it very hard to leave here. It has been a difficult decison to move. There are other factors involved in this decision that we chose not to divulge because we really wouldn't enjoy people picking apart our personal life in public. It took us two years to get to this point. We tried to find ways to stay because we love the people in this neighborhood, the sense of community, the vibrant energy that's generated here. And you are right about it being a bad time to move. Last year would have been better, but we couldn't make ourselves leave. As for those who think we're selling a $300,000 house and making bundles of profit, we have a small, simple house. The profit from the sale will barely allow us to buy another modest house. If we were in it for the investment, we would stay around until the market recovers.And flyeranon, it's not my job to censor Scott. This is his blog, he says what he wants and deals with the consequences. Scott's impulsive with words. He types away until midnight, half the time falling asleep over his computer. I doubt he spends much time rechecking his type. His mission is just to keep the community conversation going. If some of what comes out of his head after a long day is offensive to you, change the channel.

The interesting thing is that no matter what we personally may think of FlyerAnon, or Scott, for that matter, they are the fabric of the blog. It makes for interesting reading, even when riddled with inconsistencies and erroneous statements. I think we should not underestimate the "gift" Scott has given to us. It is sad he and Susan need to move. I say need because I know them personally and I can't imagine that this decision is anything but heart wrenching for them.

Anyone who knows these two know that they have never been about the big bucks. Rather, they are about home, family, good citizenship and giving. They are sensitive caring people.

In addition Scott is very brave. Sometimes foolishly so. But I do know this, most of you would never stick your opinions out here with your name and face attached to them. It takes a bit of gut to put it out there for all to see. The anon tag makes it easy to say what is on your mind.

I knew that Nick Lowe wrote the song and that he produced a number of Elvis Costello's albums but I had no idea that he also performed the song. Here's what I found online:

(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding : This is the version of the song that most people know but, strictly speaking, Elvis Costello & The Attractions never recorded this song. It was originally the B side of Lowe's American Squirm and was credited to Nick Lowe and His Sound. At the time Lowe was Costello's producer, and he produced this track as well. When the song became a hit, it was quickly appended as the last track to the U.S. edition of Costello's album Armed Forces.

Given this blog is the main cheerleader for the things I least like when it comes to this neighborhood. I feel the need to come to Scott and Susan's defense in relation to the poster that's accusing them of cashing out and running.

If they were just in it for the money they would have done it 2 years ago and not now.They alluded to aged friends/relatives they need to be closer to. I can relate to that as this week I became the one closest to my Dad when he was moved into the hospice at 15th and Chelsea. I don't think he and my Mom are going to be celebrating their next Anniversary together (woulda' been their 54th, how's that for devotion).

The thing that disgusted me the most, and most exemplified the "It's all about me" attitude of the new inhabitants this neighborhood, is that when Scott reached the 200,000 hit milestone not one of you took notice of it. This blog is his baby and that was something to be proud of. Like when a human baby takes its first steps or utters its first word. In a sense I may miss Scott also, I only wish he'd take the rest of you with him.

The blog is an interesting place. Hopefully it will remain so. There are times to be anonymous to say what you feel needs to be said and not be tarred and feathered. Lord knows there are some very prickly people that live in this neighborhood. I am sure that David and Susan (by default) have paid a price other than insults on the blog for things that have been posted.

However, most of the nastiness on this blog seems to come from mean-spirited assholes who's life and world must be very small.

Bitch away if it is something you care about. But bitching just to bitch and being nasty just because you can hide behind being "anonymous" is childish cowardice.

This blog helps keep the Seminole Heights community informed about stuff in our own back yard better than the local media.

I thank you, too. I know Scott will try to keep this blog going even after we move because he believes it's helping to connect the community. But credit also needs to go to the people who post here and keep the conversation flowing. Without you, it would just be Scott musing and observing, which is entertaining, to be sure, but not the whole picture. Your responses are stimulating and educational, sparking incredible dialogue. Like couldbesherry said, Scott and Flyeranon are part of the fabric. So is she, and each one of you. I think the continuation of this blog will rely more on you, than Scott when we leave.

Flyeranon, that is sad news about your father. My sympathy to you and your Mom. He is fortunate to have you so close.

Where does your pot come from. I guess it does not come from the Drug Dealers we are trying to rid the neighborhood. I guess where you buy it does not affect the quality of life of anyones neighborhood? Great, keep smoking.I guess you can justify it if you don't buy it in your own hood or you buy it from the middle man and never see the crack dealer.

yep I bought mine here in this verrrrrrrry "hood" for long timethe man who sold me pot moved to Lutz over six years ago.We lived on one of these "historic' avenues. Imagine! Geez he sold me pot off of Idlewild.woah!Current dealer is in similar area so gees who the heck do you think you all are?

O and crack is far from pot.....so ya tweaking idiot .please pick up some information on potI am a reader of Scientific America. mag.and its got quite a lot to say about the affects of canniboids .

I agree. I could care less about pot and honestly think they should legalize it. However, I agree that 9 times out of ten it is being sold by the same crack dealers that neighborhoods are trying to get rid of. So you buy yours from your "smoking" neighbor. Where you you think he gets it from.

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Creative Loafing's 2006 Best of the Bay - Best Local Blog - Runner Up and "One of the best civic-oriented chronicles in the Bay Area and a must-read for those in Central Tampa" Wayne Garcia - Political Editor, Creative Loafing (2005)

Selected by the TBT* as one of the six must read blogs of Tampa Bay area (2005)